This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!

 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

Now King Herod heard of him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

- Mark 6:13-29

Yesterday, we read that Jesus came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  Today's reading begins with the same verse that ended yesterday's.  We understand where we are in Jesus' ministry at this point, a very important step -- this power has been conferred on His apostles.  My study bible says that anointing the sick with oil has not only medicinal value but that it's also of sacramental value.  God's healing power, it notes, is bestowed through creation (Mark 5:27; Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 13:21; John 9:6-7; Acts 5:15, 19:11-12).  In this same way, oil becomes a vehicle of God's mercy and healing in the Church (James 5:14).

Now King Herod heard of him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  This King Herod is Herod Antipas, the son of the king who slew the infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  My study bible says, "Though he was technically a governor, he was popularly called king.  Knowing that John the Baptist had worked no miracles while living, Herod now believes John was raised from the dead, thinking powers are at work in him.  Thus, he fears John more dead than alive."

Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  Again, my study bible explains that Elijah was expected to return and to work signs before the second coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5).   It says that "the Prophet is interpreted by some to be a reference to the Messiah, One whom Moses foretold (Deuteronomy 18:15), while others interpret it as simply meaning a new prophet had arisen."  Both statements are ironic, given that it is Christ who will say that John the Baptist himself was Elijah returned in spirit, and also that of all those "born of women" until then, none was greater than John, the last and greatest in the line of the Old Testament prophets (see Matthew 11:10-14).

For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.    This section is a sort of parenthetical remark, given by Mark to explain Herod's wariness and fear that Jesus is John returned from the dead.  My study bible says that as part of God's plan of salvation, John's martyrdom allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to souls in Hades -- thereby John was forerunner of Christ both on earth and to the souls of the dead.  In the Eastern Orthodox hymn to John, it is sung, "Your tongue, which constantly speaks of God, has preceded Christ into death and is sent to preach Him to those in Hades."   It's also important to note in Mark's story the great power held by John the Baptist while he lived.  He was a great figure among those of his time, widely revered as a holy man and a spiritual leader -- many of the apostles were first disciples of the Baptist.  My study bible points out how Herod with his great wealth and military command of many soldiers, feared John, a man who lived in poverty and clothed himself in camel's hair as part of a radical humility (Mark 1:6).  A note calls this a testament both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, and also to the people's perception of John, who was held in highest esteem (11:32).

It's hard not to notice the contradictions in Herod, or at least the ones that seem to hold sway with him emotionally somehow.  He does fear John; there is a part of him that has some kind of respect for the power of this holy man and fears that power which Herod doesn't really understand.  He knows John's intimidating reputation also; someone of such intense personal integrity -- even clothed in camel's hair -- is a figure of authority that has nothing to do with military might but rather the power of holiness.  We read that Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  Herod also seems to be very glad of the opportunity to hear such a man, and takes a sort of delight in this possibility.  Given what we're told, then, we have to stop and think about what would make a man with such power as this king do something he really didn't want to do.  Let's keep in mind that Herod Antipas is a ruthless man, known for injustice and cruelty, and he also comes from a family particularly known for such behavior.  His father, Herod the Great, was particularly known as an extremely ruthless and cruel man even among his contemporary rulers.  So, that in itself is nothing new.  The question is why Herod, who feared John and even enjoyed John's presence, would accept to have John beheaded.  I find it intriguing, because it asks of us questions about public life, about what we're willing to put on the line, and what we're not.  Herod has sworn before everybody who is at this particular festive occasion that he'll give the girl whatever she asks.  We can imagine he's had quite a bit to drink and to eat; it's a public occasion for ostentation and indulgence, and both are going to be signs of his power in this particular setting.  He's also sitting before his other nobles, those of the attending aristocracy and the important individuals who support him in power.  So his indulgent and ostentatious promise is made in such an environment, and it becomes a trap -- an opportunity for entrapment.  Is he going to live up to such a word, and this display of lavish behavior, or not?  And there's the choice.  It's made in front of "everyone who's anyone."  And I think we can find ourselves in a similar place whether or not we are kings or we are those who wield such great power in life.  We might not have comparable lives in any other sense, or duties, or histories.  But really, if you think about it, this kind of conflict between personal conviction and public image can come to sabotage us and tempt us at almost any time.  One can easily imagine a bullying situation, for example, where there is public pressure to go along with victimizing one person, even if our consciences tell us something different and we feel strongly that it's wrong.  We might be persuaded by a relative or friend to hurt even a just person.  There are all kinds of situations in which we can imagine some sort of conflict like this, and it's not right to minimize the temptation.  But this story, despite its excesses that glare at us so garishly, tells us something important about how essential it might be to prepare ourselves to meet such occasions, and also how important our own integrity really is.  Herod Antipas is a despised figure in the Gospels.  There is no room for understanding his act as some sort of tragic flaw of character.  It's an act of great evil that he's willing to go along with, and even command.  What is it specifically about holiness that is so often at odds with public life, and especially public power?  In the end, it's a spiritual paradigm, in which the power of God must be respected as something that has priorities unto itself and will be at odds with the dictates of "worldly power."  This isn't a black and white kind of question:  Jesus' holiness becomes a kind of public matter, not hidden from the world.  But to be "worldly" has a different connotation, and to set a worldly public life in order with the call of God is a great calling indeed. It's one that might ask us for sacrifices of what might sound good and appealing and impressive in order to follow what's really essential for personal integrity and love of God.  As Jesus would put it, Herod loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.  Even though Herod feared and protected John, and even understood him to be a personal holiness and just character, it wasn't enough.  In some sense, it's a position similar to Herod's when he was judging Jesus, when Herod knew Jesus to be innocent.  Both Herod's and Pilate's choices in exercising their authority set them further on the road to condemnation in the Gospels; in the end they bonded over the execution of Christ.  In a time when so much is of a public nature, and social media plays a role in how we interact with one another, let us consider the social pressures public life conveys.  It would have been far better - spiritually - for Herod to rescind his grand promise.  To "lose face" (or position) in a public sense is the sacrifice we might need to make at times, in order to preserve the integrity that gives us inner strength and quality, and a life lived with faith before God.  Let's consider what we're asked to choose, whatever the consequences, in a time when we face so many complex social pressures.